Lake Steam

Today was my first time and probably my last time as I had a mixed experience at Lake Steam Baths today and wanted to share it honestly for anyone considering a visit. On the positive side, the front desk staff was welcoming and kind. I arrived around 1:10 PM and was given a thoughtful tour by Sky, who was lovely and made me feel comfortable upon arrival. The facility itself has a very old-school feel, which didn’t bother me at all. I came specifically to relax, enjoy the steam room, hot tubs, and quiet atmosphere. Unfortunately, the experience took a sharp turn around 3 PM. While in the steam room with several other guests present, I witnessed explicit sexual behavior between two individuals who were masterbating each other. This made me extremely uncomfortable and immediately changed the tone of the visit for me. This is a shared wellness space intended for relaxation and restoration, and that kind of activity felt completely inappropriate and disruptive to the environment. I wanted to just hurry up and leave. Additionally, there were moments where quiet expectations weren’t respected in the pools, which added to the sense that the space wasn’t being actively monitored or guided to maintain a calm, restorative atmosphere which was a bummer. I want to be very clear: my discomfort had nothing to do with who anyone is, but rather what was happening in a public, shared wellness space. Any sexual behavior (regardless of who is involved) would have been equally unwelcome in a place meant for relaxation. Because of this, I ended my visit early and left feeling unsettled rather than restored and I can’t get that god awful image out of my head. While there were aspects I appreciated, the lack of enforcement around boundaries and atmosphere significantly impacted my experience. I’ve given this a 3 out of 5, but I personally wouldn’t return. I hope management considers clearer guidelines and more active oversight to ensure all guests feel safe and comfortable.

I’ve been to this place several times. The first time was when they had a running cafe with beer; their reuben was quite good with the Odell IPA for a nice respite. The second time was after they took that out after COVID and was sold to a different owner. The third and fourth was for their coed nights which have been discontinued. The price nowadays is 30 dollars which is still a very good deal. There’s also a really nice eastern european microbrewery right next door for a pint afterwards. I loved the coed nights and the reason why is why I’m giving this place 2 stars. Having been to Archimedes in SF, I saw what Lake Steam Baths once was. The dry heat room is plenty hot and the Turkish steam room is fine; the biggest issue is with the men’s days after a certain time. At Archimedes in SF (in SF), despite everything being coed while still clothing optional, there is no inappropriate behavior. Most choose not to wear clothes while a few wear bathing suits or an occasional loincloth. There is a known culture that the banya isn’t a place for that and there are workers in clear uniforms around at all times to enforce that. At Lake Steam, especially in the steam room, there is a lot of personal play and other inappropriate behavior. Like the other reviewer Kupi Eto stated, “In the Finnish sauna, I witnessed inappropriate behavior…”, I have also seen similar incidents. It’s usually a few bad actors but still, a few is way too many. I’ve brought it up to the staff before and they replied, “Well, everytime I go inside to check, all of a sudden everyone’s an angel.” I think having regular checks would be great and prevent these types of behavior. For the coed nights, I loved the experience and will recommend it. But as I’ve stated before, I think the culture of the place has long shifted. If they bring back the coed nights, I’ll definitely go back. But as of now, I just go to Red Rocks Mobile Sauna outside of the Hogshead Brewery.

I went for the first time yesterday after my physical therapist friend recommended this place to help with my chronic back pain. Facilities are basic, but still clean well maintained and the staff was friendly and helpful when I had questions. The hot tub and sauna were HOT so I could only handle a few minutes at a time in each area (another patron told me this is normal for first timers and that I'd get used to it over time - I appreciated the honesty and was happy to know I wasn't being a baby, haha), but they provide buckets of cold water to help you cool off. I ended up renting an extra towel and dipping it in the cold water to help cool myself down faster. All in all a nice experience for the price, but I do wish they had more women's days because it did get crowded towards the end of my visit.

I was looking for a Korean bathhouse in Denver. This came up because of the high reviews. Not traditional Korean. Meaning nude is optional which is a plus. Was not aware that it's gender-specific depending on the days, a little disappointing after making the drive. The staff was completely sweet and helpful trying to make recommendations that were local to try to enjoy some water on a hot day. Available parking. The location was very well kept safe. Definitely visit on a gender-specific day. Call ahead.

Older, semi-traditional Russian spa. No one swatted me with leaves, but had an awesome body scrub from Sergio. Hot sauna, small steam room, hot tub, and a cold tub with shower, plus a quiet area to relax. While aged, it’s very clean, and the staff were super friendly and actively straightened things up and kept it clean. For the price, a great place if you would like the traditional sauna experience. It may not be the Ritz, but I don’t think you can go wrong with a visit.